Homepage Archive - November 2017 (page 2)

These archive pages are provided in order to make it easier for you to find items that you remember seeing on the RF Cafe homepage. Of course probably the easiest way to find anything on the website is to use the "Search RF Cafe" box at the top of every page. About RF Cafe.

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See Page 1 | 2 | 3 of the November 2017 homepage archives.

Sunday 20

RF Cafe Engineering Crossword w/Headlines:  November 19

RF Cafe Engineering Crossword Puzzle w/Weekly Headlines November 19, 2017For the sake of avid cruciverbalists amongst us, each week I create a new technology-themed crossword puzzle using only words related to engineering, science, mathematics, chemistry, physics, astronomy, etc. At least 10 clues in this puzzle with an asterisk (*) are pulled from this past week's (11/13 - 11/17) "Tech Industry Headlines" column on the RF Cafe homepage (see the Headline Archives page for help). Enjoy! ...

Friday 17

Please Welcome QuinStar Technology as Our Newest Supporter!

QuinStar Technology mm-Wave Products - RF CafeQuinStar Technology designs and manufactures mm-wave products for communication, scientific, and test applications along with providing microelectronic assembly, rapid prototyping, and mass customization. • Amplifiers • Receivers • Oscillators • Switches • Attenuators • Circulators • Isolators • Filters • Waveguide • Antennas • Phase Shifters • Transceivers • Radar Subsystems • Mixers • Detectors • Transducers. QuinStar specializes in cryogenic amplifiers, circulators, and isolators. Please visit QuinStar today to see how they can help your project ...

Fisker Claims e-Car Breakthrough with 1 Minute Charge for 500 Miles

Fisker Claims Electric Car Breakthrough with a Minute Charge for 500 Miles - RF Cafe"The Danish automotive designer behind cars like the Aston Martin V8 Vantage and the BMW Z8 re-launched his electric car startup this year and announced that the next car out the gate would be powered by a 'breakthrough' in solid state batteries, one with a range of 500 miles and a charge time of one minute. Originally, Fisker and his team were intending to use a brand new graphene-based hybrid supercapacitor technology but eventually settled on the standard lithium-ion instead. However ..."

Tips for Technicians - by Mallory Capacitors

Tips for Technicians, February 1969 Electronics World - RF CafeAkin to how the National Company ran a long series ( a couple hundred altogether) of infomercial type ads in the ARRL's QST magazine from the 1930s through the 1950s, Mallory had its "Tips for Technicians" run in Electronics World (and maybe other electronics magazines of the era). Being a major capacitor manufacturer, its ads featured brief tutorials on various types of capacitors, their characteristics, and how they should be used in circuits - both for new design and when replacing capacitors in existing equipment ...

Antenna Design for a Connected Home Multimedia Device

Antenna Design for a Connected Home Multimedia Device - RF Cafe

Free webinar title: "Antenna Design for a Connected Home Multimedia Device." When: November 21, 11:00 am EST. Presenter: Dr. Marc Rütschlin. "As the Internet of Things establishes itself, more and more connected devices are finding their way into the modern home. The 'connections' are of course wireless and antennas are the key enabling technology which provides that wireless connectivity. This webinar will discuss the case of a smart projector, exploring how antennas can be designed given the ..."

New on RF Cafe: Online Sudoku Puzzle

{Easy} Online Sudoku Puzzle - RF CafeGiven the popularity of working Sudoku puzzles, I figured it was about time to include them on RF Cafe. These use embedded JavaScript code to make them playable online. 4 levels of difficulty can be chosen, depending on your ability. Sudoku (so͞o dōko͞o') puzzles, despite their Japanese name, were not actually invented in Japan. According to the history note in Wikipedia, they first appeared in France, and then popularized in America. Regardless of its origins, Sudoku is an immensely popular game today ...

MegaPhase Names Maddiel Gonzalez as Engineering Manager

MegaPhase Names Maddiel Gonzalez as Engineering Manager - RF CafeMegaPhase, a leading provider of RF and microwave interconnects, is pleased to announce that Maddiel Gonzalez has joined the MegaPhase Team as Engineering Manager. Maddiel's career has involved developing state-of-the-art RF connectors for space, military and commercial applications. Maddiel led a team of technical staff in the design of RF Interconnect products in his prior position at another cable and connector company. His design ...

Nanomaterials Leads to a New Quantum Photonic Circuit Architecture

Mix of Nanomaterials Leads to a New Quantum Photonic Circuit Architecture - RF Cafe"Scientists at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have developed an underlying architecture for a new class of quantum photonic circuits - chip-based devices that leverage the quantum properties of light to process and communicate information. In research described in the journal Nature Communications, the NIST researchers and their collaborators in China and the UK developed a class of devices that are composed of networks of low-loss waveguides and single-photon sources, all on a single chip ..."

Thursday 16

Brig. General David Sarnoff Memorial - The End of an Era

Brig. General David Sarnoff Memorial - The End of an Era, March 1972 Popular Electronics - RF CafeBrigadier General David Sarnoff's name was well known to most people in the realm of communications up to the time of his death in 1971. His technical and leadership skills were recognized and rewarded throughout his very accomplished lifetime in both military and civilian venues. This brief biography of Sarnoff was printed in the March 1972 issue of Popular Electronics magazine. As with many people of high acclaim, he had a few run-ins with other notable people during his career - the most famous of which was the Battle of the Airwaves fought between Edwin Armstrong and him over FM versus AM broadcasting ...

Smart Fabric Uses Magnetic Fields to Store, Transmit Data w/o Electronics

Smart Fabric Uses Magnetic Fields to Store, Transmit Data Without Electronics - RF Cafe"Researchers at the University of Washington have found a way to make clothes smarter without on-board electronics using a new type of data-storing fabric that leverages technology already found in smartphones. One limitation to wearable technology is the need for electronics and wiring that make so-called 'smart' clothing not so comfortable to wear. Researchers at the University of Washington have found a way to make clothes smarter without on-board electronics ..."

Vintage Radio Receiver Service Data Sheets - Final Installment

Stromberg-Carlson 10 Tube No. 82 All-Wave Receiver Radio Service Data Sheet, September 1935 Radio-Craft - RF CafeWell, these are the last three Radio Service Data Sheets I have from my collection of vintage electronics magazines. That makes a total of 219 that I have scanned and posted over a span of 3 years. At some point I will bid for other editions on eBay. They can cost $5 or more apiece, so the cost adds up quickly.

Remler Model No. 36 6-Tube Dual-Wave Auto-Radio

Stromberg-Carlson 10 Tube No. 82 All-Wave Receiver

Fada Model 155 5-Tube Super Fadalette A.C.-D.C. Set

Graphene-Based Inks for Integrated Circuits on Fabric

Graphene-Based Inks for Integrated Circuits on Fabric - RF Cafe"Researchers from the Cambridge Graphene Centre have led a project that has successfully demonstrated printing of fully-integrated electronic circuits directly onto fabric for the first time. The circuits, which contain complex layered semiconductor devices, are printed using inks containing graphene and a similar two-dimensional conductive material, hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN). Previous attempts at printing electronics on fabric are have used inks containing metal oxides ..."

Skyworks Enables Next Generation Tracking Devices

Skyworks Enables Next Generation Tracking Devices - RF CafeSkyworks Solutions, an innovator of high performance analog semiconductors connecting people, places and things, today announced that its connectivity solutions are enabling next generation tracking devices, a new and exciting Internet of Things application. Specifically, Skyworks' high efficiency, front-end systems have been adopted by XY Findables, a market leader in wearable technology, to increase battery life and nearly double the range when compared to other ...

Fireworks from Atoms at Ultra-Low Temperatures

Fireworks from Atoms at Ultra-Low Temperatures - RF Cafe"Scientists aren't normally treated to fireworks when they discover something about the universe. But a team of University of Chicago researchers found a show waiting for them at the atomic level - along with a new form of quantum behavior. 'This is a very fundamental behavior that we have never been seen before; it was a great surprise to us,' said study author and professor of physics Cheng Chin. Published Nov. 6 in Nature, the research details a curious phenomenon - seen in what was thought to be a well-understood system - that may ..."

Wednesday 15

Saelig Intros Economical 500 MHz Dual-Channel AWGs from Siglent

Saelig Intros Economical 500 MHz Dual-Channel AWGs from Siglent - RF CafeSaelig Company has introduced Siglent's SDG6000X series of Dual-Channel Pulse / Arbitrary Waveform Generators (AWG) that create test signals up to 500 MHz using a sample rate of 2.4GSa/s and 16-bit vertical resolution for an 80dB dynamic range. This series features Siglent's proprietary TrueArb and EasyPulse technologies that solve the weaknesses inherent in traditional DDS waveform creation. TrueArb technology generates arbitrary waveforms "point-by-point" to produce a very low jitter output signal from stored memory ...

Path Length of Light in Opaque Media

Path Length of Light in Opaque Media - RF Cafe"A seemingly paradoxical prediction in physics has now been confirmed in an experiment: No matter whether an object is opaque or transparent, the average length of the light's paths through the object is always the same. What happens when light passes through a glass of milk? It enters the liquid, is scattered unpredictably at countless tiny particles and exits the glass again. This effect makes milk appear white. The specific paths that the incident light beam takes depend, however, on the opacity of the liquid ..."

Mac's Service Shop: Medical Electronics Servicing

Mac's Service Shop: Medical Electronics Servicing, October 1969 Electronics World - RF CafeIn his trademark style, electronics-themed storyteller John T. Frye used his Mac's Service Shop venue to introduce readers to another new development in the medical electronics field - the "ultrasonoscope." It was the forerunner to modern sonogram machines. Relatively recent advances in solid state electronics and signal processing techniques - albeit mostly analog in nature - made design and construction of compact devices practical and affordable by medical facilities. Unlike today where many doctor's offices have their own x-ray and sonogram machines, it was still mostly hospitals that owned them in the late 1960s when this piece was written. Mac McGregor schools ...

Axiom Test Equipment October Specials

Axiom Test Equipment November 2017 Specials - RF CafeAxiom Test Equipment, a provider of efficient and cost effective solutions customers' test equipment needs, offer the following special deals on their inventory. Axiom offers our customers several practical, efficient and cost effective solutions for their business or projects' test equipment needs. Whether you need to rent & buy test equipment, repair test equipment, sell or trade equipment, we are committed to providing superior customer service and high quality electronic test equipment ...

AntSyn Antenna Design and Optimization Software Adds New Features

NI/AWR's AntSyn Antenna Design and Optimization Software Adds New Features and Enhancements - RF CafeOver 30 new features and enhancements have been added to the latest release of AntSyn™ automated antenna design, synthesis and optimization software. This cloud-based, software-as-a-service (SaaS) product takes antenna design to the next level by enabling engineers to input antenna requirements and automatically produce a range of viable antenna designs as a result. Thirty-nine new antenna designs have been added to the AntSyn antenna library ...

Valens Automotive Offers Carmakers One Cable to Rule Them All

Valens Automotive Offers Carmakers One Cable to Rule Them All - RF Cafe"As our cars turn into rolling supercomputers, it's easy to forget one of their emerging electronic needs: managing massive data flows within the car. In a self-driving car, sensors should throw off some 4 terabytes a day. 'Connectivity is one of the missing elements,' says Micha Risling, head of the automotive business at Valens, a fabless semiconductor company in Israel. 'On one hand you have the Nvidias of this world - the companies that offer processing solutions - and, on ..."

Tuesday 14

The Difference Between Qi and Other Types of Wireless Power Transfer

The Difference Between Qi and Other Types of Wireless Power Transfer - RF Cafe"Interoperability, adoption, use case, readiness, and safety / regulatory are the key differentiating factors among these competing technologies. Apple announced that its iPhones, AirPods, and other accessories will all include Qi (pronounced 'chee') wireless charging. The Qi standard is one type of wireless power transfer, and certain to be a popular one due to Apple's adoption. However, other types of wireless power transfer, such as AirFuel Resonant ..."

How to Get Started in Radio Control Modeling

How to Get Started in Radio Control Modeling, February 1974 Popular Electronics - RF CafeRadio control hobbyists realized a huge technology advance with the introduction of solid, proportional control system that began appearing in the late 1960s. Prior to then, most R/C systems used vacuum tubes and necessary accompanying large, heavy batteries. Size and weight was not too big of a deal for the transmitter, but both factors significantly impact airplane design and performance. The new systems enabled smaller, lighter weight aircraft that not only cost less, but flew better. Of course other forms of R/C modeling like boats and cars also benefitted from the advances, but weight and size was not as ...

"Saving the Neighborhood" an AFCI Saga

"Saving the Neighborhood," by Al Rabassa - RF CafeMr. Al Rabassa (NW2M) had a great letter in the November 2017 issue of the ARRL's QST magazine titled, "Saving the Neighborhood." In it, he described how his proactive response to a new neighborhood with houses full of poorly designed arc fault circuit interrupter (AFCI) circuits breakers resulted in him being regarded as a hero (of sorts) rather than as a bad guy. Only ARRL members can access the online version, but fortunately Mr. Rabassa placed a copy of it on his Yaesu FT-101 Repair Facebook page. (see my previous AFCI comments)

Thanks Once Again to Saelig for Their Continued Support!

Saelig Company ElectronicsSaelig sells and supports a wide range of electronic control and instrumentation equipment and components to customers ranging from Fortune 500 industrial users, military, educational institutions and hospitals to individual end-users. They've found remarkable test equipment and components from around the world with specs or prices you won't find anywhere else. Please visit Saelig today for your test equipment needs ...

IPP Intros Ultra Broadband 4-Way Combiner/Divider

IPP Intros Ultra Broadband 4-Way Combiner/Divider - RF CafeInnovative Power Products introduces their latest "Ultra Broadband" high power 4-Way Combiner/Divider model IPP−1271 which covers the full 700 – 6000 MHz band. The Model IPP−1271 combines four coherent input signals or divides one signal into four up to 300 Watts CW of total RF power. This Combiner/Divider is produced in a 5.20" x 3.90" x 1.10" package with a type N connector on the sum port and SMA connectors on the four other ports. Insertion loss is less than 1.1 dB, phase balance is less than ±7 degrees and VSWR ...

Kyma Demos High Quality 200 mm Diameter GaN on QST Templates

Kyma Demos High Quality 200 mm Diameter GaN on QST Templates - RF Cafe"Kyma Technologies, Inc., a developer of advanced wide bandgap semiconductor materials technologies, announced it has used its new K200 hydride vapor phase epitaxy (HVPE) growth tool to produce high quality 200mm diameter HVPE GaN on QST (QROMIS Substrate Technology) templates. Today's announcement of Kyma's development of 200mm diameter GaN on QST templates follows its announcement in 2016 of its demonstration of 150 mm diameter GaN on QST templates ..."

Monday 13

Choosing a TV Antenna

Choosing a TV Antenna, March 1972 Popular Electronics - RF CafeUnless you happened to live close to a television broadcasting tower, receiving an acceptable signal has always been a matter of luck. Obstructions such as buildings and terrain can greatly attenuate signal strength and multipath can generate telltale ghost images and confuse the synchronization portions of signals. It was bad enough with black and white (B&W) broadcasts, but the advent of color made the situation notably worse because more information needed to be received properly in order to display a good picture. Color TV adoption really began to take off in the late 1960s, and that is about ...

Trump China Visit Ends Forced Technology Transfer

Trump China Visit Ends Forced Technology Transfer - RF CafeThis is a major change in technology transfer policy! "Soon after Trump's departure, China Vice Premier Wang Yang, who ranks No.4 in the Communist Party, published an article under his own by-line in the Peoples' Daily newspaper, saying that foreign companies would no longer be forced to turn over technology to China in return for access to the China market. The forced technology transfer has been a sore point with the USA for many years and the U.S. government ..."

ConductRF Offers Cable Assembly Phase Matching Solutions to 70 GHz

ConductRF Offers Cable Assembly Phase Matching Solutions to 70 GHz - RF CafeConductRF's skill in the manufacturing of Phase Matched RF Cable Solutions is second to none. We have phase matched a diverse array of solutions from Low Frequency RG and LMR Cables to more premium exotic cables up to 70 GHz. With a broad base of standard connectors and cables in stock, we turn solutions around fast. We have solutions across all standard industry interfaces all the way to 70 GHz with 1.85 mm Solutions. We support all variants of SMP/SMPM as well as all common standards including SMA, SMB ...

VNAs Provide Versatile Measurement Capabilities

VNAs Provide Versatile Measurement Capabilities - RF CafeAxiom Test Equipment (1-760-806-6600) has posted a new entry on the website blog that is a review of some of the essential measurement capabilities of a VNA and how to go about selecting an instrument to suit your needs. "Vector network analyzers (VNAs) were once associated mainly with RF/microwave frequencies, although they have gained popularity in recent years at audio frequencies. They are unique among electronic measuring instruments in their capabilities to measure circuits as networks and to understand the transmission and reflection of signals through those networks ..."

Graphene Used to Enable High-Powered Electronics on Flexible Materials

Graphene Used to Enable High-Powered Electronics on Flexible Materials - RF Cafe"Graphene has enabled the development of the first flexible terahertz detector, paving the way for high-powered electronics on flexible materials. Graphene has shown its mettle as a breakthrough material yet again, with researchers using it to enable for the first time the development of high-power electronics on flexible, inexpensive materials. Researchers at Chalmers University have developed a flexible detector for terahertz frequencies using graphene transistors on plastic substrates. The detector ..."

Sunday 12

RF Cafe Engineering Crossword w/Weekly Headlines - November 12

RF Cafe Engineering Crossword Puzzle w/Weekly Headlines November 12, 2017For the sake of avid cruciverbalists amongst us, each week I create a new technology-themed crossword puzzle using only words related to engineering, science, mathematics, chemistry, physics, astronomy, etc. At least 10 clues in this puzzle with an asterisk (*) are pulled from this past week's (11/6 - 11/10) "Tech Industry Headlines" column on the RF Cafe homepage (see the Headline Archives page for help). Enjoy! ...